Tata to bring Starbucks to Mumbai

If all goes well, you just could be sipping on a Starbucks coffee in six months.

mumbaiUpdated: Jan 14, 2011 01:18 IST

HT Correspondent Hindustan Times

If all goes well, you just could be sipping on a Starbucks coffee in six months.

US-based Starbucks – the world’s leading coffee chain – and India’s Tata Coffee signed a memorandum of understanding, on Thursday, to source and roast coffee beans.

The partnership, which has the scope to go global, will also explore the development of Starbucks retail outlets.

“Through this association, Tata Coffee will achieve higher realisation for its high quality coffee as Starbucks is always willing to pay a superior premium for assured and reliable supply of high quality coffee,” said RK Krishnakumar, chairman, Tata Coffee.

He told HT that he hoped Starbucks would start Indian operations within seven months.

“This MoU is the first step in our entry to India,” said Howard Schulz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company. We believe India can be an important source for coffee in the domestic market, as well as in areas globally where Starbucks has operations,” he said.